Jarren Duran Trade Rumors Heat Up: Will the Red Sox Cash In or Hold Out?
Jarren Duran’s name has been floating around the trade market for a while now - through a couple offseasons and more than one deadline. But with the Red Sox outfield getting more crowded and top prospect Roman Anthony making a strong case as a foundational piece for the future, this winter might finally be the moment Boston makes a move.
Anthony’s 2025 debut didn’t just meet expectations - it fueled them. He looked every bit the part of a future star, and with him penciled into the outfield for the long haul, Duran’s role suddenly feels a lot less secure. Add in Wilyer Abreu, another young outfielder who’s also been mentioned in trade talks, and it’s clear the Sox have decisions to make.
But it’s Duran who’s drawing the most attention - and the widest range of opinions about his value.
Across the league, teams see Duran as a player with upside, but how much upside depends on who you ask. A recent breakdown of hypothetical trade packages linked him to a variety of potential returns: names like Braxton Ashcraft and Jared Triolo from the Pirates, Emmett Sheehan from the Dodgers, and Bryce Miller and Michael Arroyo from the Mariners. That’s a wide spectrum - from unproven arms to young pitchers with serious potential.
Take Miller, for instance. He’s already shown flashes of being a frontline starter, and pitching half his games at T-Mobile Park certainly helps his numbers. But even with that context, it’s clear that a player like Miller would be a steep ask in a one-for-one swap for Duran - especially if Boston’s front office is still valuing him like the 2024 version of himself.
And that’s where things get tricky.
According to reporting from ESPN insiders, the Red Sox are still treating Duran like the 6.8-fWAR force he was in 2024 - a season where his elite speed, solid bat, and strong defense made him one of the most valuable outfielders in the game. But 2025 told a different story.
Duran was still good, posting a respectable 3.9 fWAR, but he wasn’t quite the same game-changer. That kind of drop-off - from borderline All-Star to solid contributor - changes the conversation.
Here’s the thing: trades aren’t made in a vacuum. Teams can set whatever price they want internally, but if the rest of the league doesn’t agree, deals don’t get done.
And right now, it sounds like some clubs aren’t buying what Boston is selling. The Royals, for example, reportedly walked away from a Duran deal because the Red Sox were asking too much.
That’s not unusual. Trade talks often start with teams overvaluing their own guys - it’s part of the dance.
But if Boston wants to land a real return, especially a legit starting pitcher, they’ll likely need to include more than just Duran in the package. Names like Payton Tolle, Connelly Early, Jhostynxon Garcia, and Franklin Arias have been floated as possible additions to sweeten the deal.
At the end of the day, the Red Sox are in a bit of a bind. They’ve got a talented, if inconsistent, outfielder in Duran.
They’ve got a rising star in Anthony. And they’ve got a need to clear outfield space while potentially addressing other roster holes - like the rotation.
If Boston is serious about moving Duran, they’ll need to find common ground between their internal valuation and what the rest of the league is willing to pay. Because right now, holding out for the 2024 version of Duran might leave them stuck with the 2025 version - and a logjam that doesn’t solve itself.